Morning campers! The inside story of 80s sitcom Hi-de-Hi!

Image caption Hi-de-Hi! was set in a holiday camp at the end of the 1950s

The antics of the employees of Maplins holiday camp entertained viewers for nearly a decade and made huge stars of the cast of Hi-de-Hi! Thirty years after the last episode was shown, on 30 January 1988, they have been sharing their memories with the BBC.

“All these years later, people say to me how wonderful it was and how we love the show,” says Jeffrey Holland, who played the camp’s comedian Spike Dixon.

“You can’t get 19 or 20 million viewers now.

“I meet young actors now who know me from the 1980s, and they are often thrilled to meet me for that reason, and that’s so gratifying.”

Hi-de-Hi! was Holland’s big break, with the role of Spike written with him in mind.

“It was the first thing I ever did that made my face known,” the actor says.

“Whatever else I’ve done since, or will in the future, I’ll always be that bloke from Hi-de-Hi! and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Hi-de-Hi! became known for its long-running comedy themes, such as the smouldering passion of Gladys Pugh (Ruth Madoc) for the camp’s uptight and rather innocent manager Jeffrey Fairbrother (Simon Cadell), and Peggy’s dreams of becoming a Yellowcoat.

The popularity of the show led to a stage show, and at one stage there were even plans for a feature film.

The programme’s rock and roll theme tune Holiday Rock, which was composed by Perry, was released as a single by star Paul Shane – who played host Ted Bovis – and reached the UK top 40.

Image copyrightPAImage caption Jimmy Perry (l) and David Croft received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2003 British Comedy Awards

The show was typically filmed in September and October, when the cast would take up residence at The Cliff Hotel in Dovercourt, near Harwich.

“We used to move in on the last weekend in September, and the weather was always stunning,” recalls Holland.

“We used to call it Croft weather – he was legendary with his luck when it came to the weather. He must have had a hotline to the man upstairs.”

However, any luck ran out during the filming of the long-running show’s final series.

You might also be interested in:

Tamsin Lord, whose family lived in nearby Wix, remembers an encounter with the props department.

“My dad was outside the house, polishing his green Morris Traveller,” she says.

“The prop guy passed by and requested to hire the car to take Gladys to the farm. Dad cleaned and smartened up the car so it shone.

“Gladys was going to a pig farm. The car came back covered in pig poo. We laughed until snot poured out our noses. Dad saw the funny side… having been well paid for the loan of the car.”

Image copyrightDavid WhittleImage caption Harwich and Dovercourt were once top holiday destinations

Pollard says the reason the show ended up being made where it was was down to being rejected by the business that was the inspiration for Hi-de-Hi!

“They made thousands, Warner’s Camp, because Butlins wouldn’t have us,” she says.

“They were trying to get away from the Hi-de-Hi! holiday camp image. But Warner’s loved us and got £4,000 a week, I think, and it was out of season so great for them.”

For Pollard, who is now 68, those heady 1980s days spent working on one of the country’s most popular TV shows are, unsurprisingly, recalled with great affection.

She describes how the cast would explore Harwich’s culinary scene with Croft, who was something of a foodie – although the word was not in currency then – and, as his “dealer”, supplying him with his sugar fix via his favourite Pontefract cakes.

Image caption The cast and crew would often take over this Harwich restaurant, says Pollard

There was also a tradition, Pollard says, for Croft to treat his stars to a “tumbler of champagne” to celebrate every 100th take they did.

“It all came off his budget, and they made sure we weren’t filming later that day,” she recalls. “Champagne on the boss’s orders!”

Looking back, Pollard and Holland are in agreement about the show’s legacy.

“I’ve heard people in other shows trying to distance themselves from them as times gone by,” Pollard says.

“But I would never want to deny I was in Hi-de-Hi! as I’m proud to have the feel-good feelings of having been in it.

“I wasn’t just another show; it was such a big success.”

Holland agrees.

“I don’t understand people who turn their back on what made them,” he says.

“I’ll always be proud to have been in something that brought so much happiness.”

Image caption Warner’s Holiday Camp was demolished to make way for a housing estate

Related Topics

Recommended Products

SpeakEzEngage more users by adding voice to your web pages. Allow visitors to seamlessly transition from reading your content, into enjoying a captivating narrated audio version they can have read to them at their leisure.

VidZio ProVidzio is a player that let you make sales directly from your videos… Customers can shop and watch at the same time without ever leaving your video or even hitting pause, you're leading them from engagement, to product, to purchase.

ReachInfluencer VIP Club (Monthly)It is a cloud based software that lets you seal sponsored post contract deals with top influencers by reaching out to multiple influencers in ANY niche on Instagram and Twitter with an automated messaging system in just few clicks.

Cloud Defender v2 Developer EditionComplete Cloud Site Security for you and your clients Inc Dev Rights - Tested and proven system for setting up the ultimate in server security, creating a virtual 'cloud' based fence that will protect your site from Bad Bots, Site Scrapers, DDOS attacks e

Cryptomatic360 [Front End]CharterFinally, You Too Can Get Your Hands On The Secret Weapon For Turning $300 into $78,000 in less than 60 days In The Bitcoin And Other Cryptocurrencies Market.... Even If you Have Never Bought Or Traded In Any Cryptocurrency Before

Local Animation Studio Promo PackUnlocks your very own instant website to sell your professional animated commercials. Features a working store, customer management system, built in autoresponder, and more. Also includes a special set of 8 additional promotional commercials.

SociAutomate LiteHarness The Power of Social Media Automation To Get MORE Leads, Sales and Buyers on Complete Autopilot With SociAutomate!

Credi Response Agency YearlyCredi Response is a SAAS that lets you send an automated message to anyone who comments on your Facebook fan page post.

SQZin Video Training and Bonus GiftGenerate Qualified Leads From Popular Content
with Your Call-To-Action Overlay
Without Having To Write A Single Word!|
Squeeze – Share – Profit!
You know that content is king and that high-quality content leads to the best conversions.